Electric warp stop contact means



June 22, .1943. l o. v. PAYNE 2,322,386

ELECTRIC WARP STOP cozmc MEANS Original Filed Dec. 26, 1941 2 sheets-sheet 1 INvE-NTOR O scan \ITP HYN ATTORNEY June 22, 1943. o. v. PAYNE ELECTRIC WARP STOP CONTACT MEANS Original Filed Dec. 26, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIEN e Tlllllilllllll ENVELNTOP.

Patented June 22, 1943 ELECTRIC WARP STOPCONTACT MEANS Oscar V. Payne, Leicester, Mass, assignor 'to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester,

Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts (lriginal application December 26, 1941, Serial No. 424,492. Divided and this application May 21, 1942. Serial No. 443.887

6 Claims. (01. 139353) This is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 424,492, filed December 26, 1941.

This invention relates to improvements in warp stop motions for looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide means by which parts of the mechanism can be made readily adjustable for changing conditions of weaving.

Warp stop mechanisms customarily employ drop wires which are guided and held apart in banks by separator bars. The latter determine the elevation of the warp threads and therefore the height of the drop wires with respect to the detector bars. Heretofore difficulty has been experienced in adjusting the separator bars relatively to the detector bars, and any given warp stop mechanism required a drop wire designed specifically for it. It is an important object of my present invention to provid means which afi'ord a delicate adjustment for the vertical position of the separator bars with respect to the detector bars so that the best operating conditions for any given drop wire can be attained, and also to permit the use of various types of drop wires.

Where several banks of drop wires are used it is customary to employ relatively high front and back separator bars and low intermediate bars. Where the warp is under considerable tension the low intermediate bars do not interfere with the operation of the drop wires, but when the warp is slack, or when certain decorative warp'threads become slack, the corresponding drop wires between the intermediate bars sag and are likely to give a false indication. In order to overcome this difiiculty it has been necessary-heretofore to remove the low intermediate bars and replace them with high bars of the same size as the front and back bars. It is a further object of my present invention so to shape the intermediate bars that their upper surfaces can beeither in low or high position as determined by requirements of the fabric being woven. This result I attain by making the intermediate bars invertible and thus permit one set of bars to perform the function heretofore attainable only by the use of two sets of intermediate bars.

A Where the warp stop mechanism is of the electrical type it is necessary to provide some connection between the insulated electrodes of the contact bars and the loom controlling circuit.

Such connections have heretofore been provided but have always required some form of manipulat on with the aid of tools at the loom. It is a further object of my present invention to protic material such as rubber and having a contact element shaped in such a manner that it can be slipped over the end of a contact bar to cause the contact element to engage the insulated electrode of th bar.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described'and set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig'. 1 is a vertical section through a warp stop mechanism made according to my present invention taken longitudinally of the warp threads and looking toward one of the loomsides,

Fig. 2 isa rear elevation looking in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detailed vertical section online 33 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line 55 of Fig. 1 showing the intermediate bars in low position,

Fig. 6 is a view similar to a portion of Fig. 5 but with the intermediate bars shown inverted and in high position,

Fig. 7 is a group diagrammatic View showing the relation of the adjacent ends of the end and intermediate separator bars, and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the supporting units.

The structure shown in the drawings, except the contact members for the contact bars, is du plicated on each side of the loom. A description will be given of the mechanism at one side only with the understanding that it applies to both ends of the loom. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the loom frame I!) supports a bearing ll having a hub i2 which receives a vertical gudgeon it of a support it. A horizontal threaded bar !5 is held in longitudinally adjusted position on the support It by means of set screws l6 and extends rearwardly parallel to the warp threads W.

Strung along the bar I5 is a series of separate holding units as indicated in Fig. 1. Front and back units 20 and 2'! are engaged by lock nuts 22 and 23, respectively, and other units 25 similar to each other are located between the front and back units. As shown particularly in Fig. 1 unit 20 has a head 26 and a lateral slot 2! to receive the front separator of 'warp supporting bar 28. The rear unit 2| is formed without a slot corresponding to slot 2? but has a vertical front wall .vide a quickly attachable member made of elas- 35 which extends along th rear separator bar 3!.

Bars 28 and 3| are relatively high and the warp extends along their upper edges.

Each of th intermediate units 25 has a head 33 and a slot 34 at the rear face thereof similar to slot 2'! and has a front wall 35 for engagement with the separator bars 40 located in the slots 34. The unit 25 immediately to the left of the front unit as seen in Fig. 1 holds the front bar 28 in position in slot 21 and the slot 34 in the rear face of the rearmost unit 25 cooperates with the previously described wall to hold the rear separator bar 31 in position. The intermediate separator bars are located in their respective slots 34 and held in position by the rear walls 35 behind them formed on the units 25.

The separator bars are spaced as indicated in Fig. 1 to receive drop wires one of which is indicated at D in Fig. 1. Each drop wire has a closed slot M the upper end of which is wedge shaped as at 42 and is further provided with an eye 43 at the upper end of an open slot 44 in the bottom of th wire. A warp thread passes through each eye 43 and contact bars 45 pass through the slots 4!. Each contact bar is provided with a body 46 in electrical contact with the heads of the various units as indicated in Fig. 1 and an insulated electrode 41 for each bar 46 is out of electrical contact with the latter but positioned for engagement with the upper wedge shaped part of the drop wir when the latter is in low or stopping position. The heads 26 and 33 hold the contact bars in position above and intermediate the separator bars.

Except as indicated hereinafter the mechanism thus far described may be of the same general form as that set forth in my prior Patent No. 1,852,024.

In carrying my present invention into effect I provide means for raising all of the separator bars simultaneously so that their upper surfaces may be varied to raise or lower the warp threads. In carrying this feature of my invention into effect I provide the front and back units 20 and 2i with cylindrical bores 58 and 5|, respectively, in each of which is located a cylinder or barrel 52. The barrels are connected by a longitudinally extending rod 53 which extends through an opening 55 formed in the lower part of each intermediate unit 25. The axis of the rod is eccentric with respect to the axes of the barrels and its rear end is bent laterally as at 51 to form a handle extending behind the rear unit 2| to be accessible to the operator. A set screw 58 in the lower part of unit 2| is provided to hold the barrels in their angularly adjusted position. It is to be understood that the rod 53 is secured to each of the barrels and with the latter forms a unit which is rotated on th front andback units 20 and 2| to vary the elevation of the rod with respect to the contact bars 45.

The front and back separator bars 28 and 3| have their ends reduced as at 60 to project through their corresponding slots and rest on the rod 53. Ina similar manner each intermediate separator bar 40 has its end reduced as at 6| to project through the associated slot and rests on the rod 53.

As shown in Fig. 2 the rod 53 is in its lowest position so that the separator bars are at their maximum distance below the contact bars 45. After the mechanism has been attached to its supports as already described by securement of the gudgeon E3 in th hub l2 by set screw 11,

the nuts 22 and 23 will be loosened and the handle 51 manipulated to rock the barrels in their bearings, thereby raising the rod 53 until the desired nicety of adjustment between the contact bars and the separator bars is attained, after which set screw 58 and the lock nuts 22 and 23 are tightened. In this way I am able to vary the elevation of the separator bars so that they may have proper relation with respect to the contact bars.

Another feature of my invention relates to the invertibility of the intermediate bars 40 so that their vertical position with respect to the front and back bars 28 and 3| can be altered. In carrying this feature of my invention into effect I form the reduced extended ends 60 of the front and back separator bars as indicated in Fig. 5, and at A, Fig. 7, to be central with respect to the top and bottom edges of the bars. By this construction the front and back bars can be placed in position without reference to which of their warp supporting edges is up. The reduced portion (ii of each intermediate box 40, however, is offset from one edge as indicated in Fig. 6, and at B and C, Fig. '7. When bars 40 are in the low positions shown in Fig. 1 their extensions are relatively high, as indicated at B, Fig. '7, the edge 65 resting on rod 53 being between the upper and lower edges 65 and 61, respectively, and below edge 66 which is continuous along the reduced end 6|.

When a tight warp is being woven and it is desired to offer as little frictional resistance to the threads as possible on the part of the separator bars, the intermediate bars will be in the low position shown in Fig. l and at A, Fig. 7 with their edges 66 below the tops of bars 28 and 3!. When slack warp is being woven, however, the intermediate bars will be inverted from the position of Fig. 5 to that of Fig. 6 and the extended edges 66 will rest on the rod 53 as shown at C, Fig. 7. In this latter position the tops of all the separator bars are in substantially the same horizontal plane and will contact and support the warp threads so that even though the latter are slack the drop. wires will be held in proper position above the insulating electrodes 41. It will be obvious that whether the intermediate bars ar in the position shown in Fig. 5 or Fig. 6 they will be moved with the front and back bars when adjustment is made by the eccentric mounting of rod 53 already described.

By reference to Figs. 1 and 2 it will be seen that the heads of the various units and the supporting bolt I5 cooperate to align the bores 5! through which the rod 53 extends. Considering the intermediate units 25, for instance, each is formed with a horizontal surface on which rests the overhanging part 8! of the head 33 so that the vertical position of adjacent units is determined by the engagement of the head of one unit with the surface 80 of an adjacent unit. A bore 83 of each unit receives the supporting member I5 and serves to align the units horizontally and the features just described cooperate to align the bores 5! through which the rod 53 passes. These bores 5| are sufficiently large to permit the rod 53 to swing through the arc suggested for instance in Fig. 2.

That part of my invention thus far described is equally applicable to mechanism or electrical warp stop motions and although I have shown an electrical contact bar to cooperate with a fallen drop wire I do not wish necessarily thus to be limited. When the electrical form of bar is used it is desirable to provide means to connect it to the external loom controlling circuit and this I may accomplish by the form of contact member shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. As shown in Fig. 2 the contact bars extend to the left of the organized supporting unit for the separator bars and the insulated electrodes 41 project upwardly for engagement with a type of contact now to be described.

Attached to each end of the protruding contact bars 45 is a contact head 15 made preferably of soft elastic material such as rubber, This head has a bore 16 to receive a contact Wire 11 and the head is further provided with a cavity 18 in which is located a contact strip 19 of the general form shown in Fig. 4. The central part of this strip is pointed downwardly as indicated at 90 to have contact with the insulated electrode 41, and the strip is connected as at 9| to the wire 11. The right end of cavity i8, as seen in Fig. 4, is further provided with a pocket 82 to receive the adjacent end of the contact strip 19. A large recess 93 receives the adjacent end of contact bar 45 and the contact member 15 is held in place by its own resilience.

In assembling the contact head the wire 11 will first be passed through the recess 93 into cavity 78 and then down through the .bore 16,

carrying with it at its trailing end the strip 19 K the left end of which will be extended into the left end of pocket 18. Because of the elasticity of the material of which the head is made, the upper right corner thereof will then be bent upwardly and twisted on itself to permit pocket 82 to receive the right hand end of the strip 19. When released the. head resumes its normal position indicated in Fig. 4 to hold the contact strip in position and the bar $5 is then slipped endwise into the recess 93 to cause engagement between the insulated electrode 47 and the downturned point 90 of the contact strip 19.

The bars 45 are grounded by their engagement with the units supported on the threaded bar l5, and the contact electrodes 4! are connected to wires '11, only one of which is shown in the drawings, to an external loom controlling circuit. My prior Patents Nos. 1,852,024; 1,873,147 and 1,873,465 may be referred to for an understanding of how the loom may be stopped when wire "i1 is connected to the body 46 of the contact bar by a fallen drop Wire.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a simple form of contact head made of soft elastic material such as rubber which can be readily applied to the ends of the contact bars 45 Without the use of tools.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

l. A contact member for an electrical warp stop bar from the upper edge of which projects an insulated elongated electrode, said member comprising a body of soft resilient electric insulating material having a recess to receive the end of the bar and electrode, a metallic contact element mounted in and supported by the member in position for engagement with the electrode, and a lead in conductor electrically connected to the element and extending from the latter through the member to a point outside the latter.

2. A contact member for an electrical warp stop bar from the upper edge of which projects an insulated elongated electrode, said member comprising a body of electric insulating soft resilient material having a recess to receive the bar and electrode, said member having a pocket therein, a contact element located in said pocket and urged in a direction toward the electrode by the inherent resilience of the member to establish electric contact between said element and electrode.

3. In an electrical warp stop motion, a contact bar, an electrode extending therealong and insulated therefrom, a contact member formed of electric insulating material and having a pocket to receive the end of the bar and electrode, and an electrode engaging member mounted within the contact member, one of said members being resilient and both members cooperating to hold the second named member resiliently in engagementwith the electrode.

4. In an electrical warp stop motion, a contact bar, an electrode extending therealong and in- M sulated therefrom, a contact member formed of electric insulating inherently resilient material and having a recess into which the bar and electrode project and a pocket adjacent to the recess, and an electric contact located in the pocket and resiliently held in engagement with the electrode by the inherent resilience of the member.

5. A contact member for an electrical warp stop bar provided with an electrode insulated therefrom, said member comprising a body of electric insulating soft resilient material having a recess to receive the bar and electrode, and a contact element located within said member and having a surface exposed to said recess for engagement with the electrode, the member acting by the inherent resilience thereof to hold the contact element against the electrode.

6. A contact member for an electrical Warp stop bar provided with an electrode insulated therefrom, said member comprising a body of electric insulating soft resilient material having a recess to receive the bar and electrode, and a contact element held to the interior of said member and having a part thereof projected into the recess for engagement with said electrode, said member acting by the inherent resilience thereof to hold the contact element in engagement with the electrode.

OSCAR V. PAYNE. 

